D Rock brings curtain down on 24-year radio career

For 24 years, the voice of Kondwani Chisasa alias D Rock, has become synonymous with radio and in the process amassing massive followership from both aspiring radio DJs and ordinary listeners.

But as they say, all good things come to an end and the 47-year-old radio DJ has finally said bye to the decks after his retirement from service at Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) where until his retirement he was working as a senior producer.

“It has been an amazing journey from day one. I have learnt a lot from the names gone before me. It opened up opportunities for me. All in all, I am glad that I took this path. What I have gone through is an experience some would just dream about,” he said in an interview yesterday.

His longevity on radio can be testified by the manner his alias mutated. Having started out as Kokoristics, the moniker later changed to Koko D Rock and eventually settled for D Rock.

D Rock joined MBC when he was 23 years-old and he said growing up he loved radio as a source of entertainment, but never dreamt of working for radio one day. The revered DJ said it was actually the influence of his brother that saw him end up as a radio DJ.

He said: “My brother thought I would make a good radio DJ so he told me to give it a go. I have always had the knack for music, I paid attention to the entertainment industry and on top of that I am a social being. That helped me tick on the radio.”

When asked what he considered as his most outstanding contribution in his long radio career, Chisasa said the shift he made in nurturing young talent through MBC’s Fun Line initiative gives him satisfaction.

“I was behind this project that nurtured great talent. As we speak radio stations across the country have benefitted from the talent we groomed and trained at MBC. And we also had other personnel that got drafted into the MBC system full time,” he said.

The DJ said those who are aspiring for a career as radio DJs should always strive to get things right to enable them do a radio broadcast, be creative, never stop learning, have an open mind and always keep their ears on the ground.

Having done his run to the full, D Rock feels his tank is yet to run dry and has not ruled out a return on the radio should a chance present itself. He says his ambition is to have his own radio station with a focus on R ‘n’ B and old school music.

He said: “Radio is in my blood and I still have the fire in my belly. I know this was my calling ever since I got in. The passion in me is still high.”

His longtime workmate at MBC, Joy Nathu, described D Rock as an extraordinary talent that helped establish Radio 2FM as a pioneer entertainment hub in Malawi. He said it is not easy to do what he has done through the years with great consistency.

Said Nathu: “He is blessed with a strong voice, composed presentation and a fabulous selection of music. He is truly a legend that carved a place in the arena of great broadcasters Malawi has ever produced.”

Chisasa was born and raised in Blantyre and he comes from Gwedeza Village, Traditional Authority Kwataine in Ntcheu District.